BCS Rankings 2013 Projections: Teams That Will Be Underrated

The 2013 BCS Rankings are set to be released during Week 8 of the college football season. In the final year of the heavily criticized ordeal, the process of placing teams in order based off of a computer system will inevitably result in some snubs.

The question is, which teams are destined to be underrated?

Note: BCS projections are based off of past history and the traditional formula. This is not a representation of the way I believe teams should be ranked.

Baylor Bears

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Record: 5-0

AP Rank: 12

Coaches Poll Rank: 12

Through seven weeks, the Baylor Bears have been one of the most explosive offensive forces in all of college football. For all of the praise that the Oregon Ducks offense has received, Baylor's has been just as potent.

Unfortunately, the BCS rankings system doesn't cater to teams like Baylor.

Baylor's signature wins are currently a 35-25 escape of the pesky Kansas State Wildcats and a 73-42 drubbing of the West Virginia Mountaineers. Without a strong strength of schedule, Baylor could fall victim to the system and be ranked lower than what truly fits.

One thing any system will recognize, however, is that Baylor can flat-out score.

Baylor scored at least 70 points in each of its first four games before defeating the Wildcats 35-25. Bryce Petty has starred at quarterback by throwing for 1,680 yards, 13 touchdowns and one interception on a completion percentage of 69.9.

Petty also has four rushing touchdowns to help lead a Bears offense that ranks in the top five in both passing and rushing yards per game.

Lache Seastrunk has been the player who has received the most attention of all, and rightfully so. He's rushed for 648 yards and eight touchdowns on just 65 carries, equating to an average of just under 10.0 yards per attempt.

With the top scoring offense, a top-20 scoring defense and two receivers who have alreadytopped 600 yards and six touchdowns, Baylor is the real deal. Unfortunately, the BCS doesn't recognize the "eye test" as reason to rank a team.

Baylor will be ranked lower than it should be during the inaugural BCS rankings.

Fresno State Bulldogs

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Record: 5-0

AP Rank: 17

Coaches Poll Rank: 19

The Fresno State Bulldogs may not be playing the highest level of competition, but everyone who has watched them play knows that they're real. Derek Carr is an NFL-caliber quarterback, Davante Adams is one of the best wide receivers in the country, and Tim DeRuyter is a respected head coach.

If Boise State has taught us anything, it's that the BCS doesn't care what a team's record is if their opponents aren't of a high caliber.

Fresno State could be saved by the fact that it owns victories against Boise State and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Without a single ranked opponent on the schedule, however, the odds of the Bulldogs debuting in the Top 20 are slim to none.

Just don't think that means they don't belong.

Carr has 1,864 passing yards to go with 19 touchdowns and four interceptions on a completion percentage of 70.7. He's topped 400 yards in three of his first five games and has led the Bulldogs to three separate wins by five points or less.

Any system should reward clutch mastery.

Adams has 52 receptions for 496 yards and seven touchdowns through five games, topping 12 receptions in three outings. Most impressively, Adams is averaging less than 10 yards per reception, which displays that he's not just another big play waiting to happen but instead an all-around threat.

NFL teams will be watching this 6'2", 212-pound redshirt sophomore, and you should be too. He and Carr are a strong enough duo to take on any defense in the country, and Fresno State should be respected because of that.

With the Bulldogs' toughest opponents behind them, things aren't looking pretty for Fresno State's place in the BCS rankings.

Louisville Cardinals

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Record: 6-0

AP Rank: 8

Coaches Poll Rank: 6

The Louisville Cardinals may not have an extraordinary level of competition, but they certainly have the personnel to earn respect. That's exactly why Louisville is No. 8 in the AP and No. 6 in the USA Today Coaches polls.

Come the revealing of the BCS Rankings, don't be stunned to see Louisville end up as one of the most underrated teams in the country.

Teddy Bridgewater may be the best quarterback in the nation, and Michael Dyer ran for 2,335 yards and 15 touchdowns in two years in the vaunted SEC. Considering Dyer is the backup running back, it's clear that Senorise Perry is a true force to be reckoned with.

Thus far, Dyer and Perry have combined for seven rushing touchdowns in an offense that relies quite heavily on the pass.

Bridgewater, a primary candidate to go No. 1 overall in the 2014 NFL draft, has 18 touchdowns to two interceptions on a completion percentage of 71.0. He's topped 300 yards in four separate games, despite rarely having to play past the end of the third quarter.

It doesn't hurt that Bridgewater's leading receiver, DeVante Parker, is making weekly appearances on SportsCenter. He has six receiving touchdowns already, and even with an injured shoulder, he could play this week, per Jonathan Lintner of The Courier-Journal.

Louisville may not be playing in the best conference, but the Cardinals still deserve respect—respect the BCS won't show them in the initial rankings.